Vatican preparing document on migration and Eastern Rite Catholics

One of the ten themes that emerged from the Synod last year and entrusted by Pope Francis to a small working group concerns relations between the Eastern Catholic Churches and Latin Churches. A report to the Synodal Assembly underway in Rome on the path taken announced that the fruit of reflection in this area will find its way in a document on the pastoral care of diaspora faithful.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – A group of thirteen experts appointed by Pope Francis and led by Hungarian canonist Péter Szabó presented a report to the Synodal Assembly, which just started in the Vatican.

The group, which was tasked to vet relations between Eastern Catholic Churches and the Latin Church, is working on a document that the pontiff intends to send to the Latin bishops on the pastoral care of Eastern rite Catholics in the diaspora.

Listening to the "work plans" of the 10 study groups Pope Francis set up in February opens the second session that just got underway. The groups explored as many theological issues present in the Synthesis Report drafted by the Synod at the end of its first session.

The themes range from priestly training and listening to the cry of the poor to exercising the episcopal ministry in a synodal perspective and the participation of women in the life and leadership of the Church.

These small groups are expected to present a report to Pope Francis by June 2025, in a document that, according to Card Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod, “is no stranger to the synodal path and, above all, to the synodal style that we as a Church are trying to adopt.”

For this reason, members are "called to remain open to a broader participation, that of the entire People of God."

Thus, “Until June 2025, it will be possible to send contributions, observations, proposals. Pastors and Church leaders,” Card Grech noted, “ but also and above all, every believer, man or woman, and every group, association, movement or community will be able to participate with its own contribution.”

In this process, one of the questions to be addressed refers to the many Catholic faithful of Eastern rite who have left their homelands because of wars, political unrest, and economic instability.

This is the actual face of the migrant Church, which is called not to lose the richness of the diversity of traditions even where it is not possible for Eastern Churches to create their own circumscriptions.

Yet, even in this area, coexistence is not always easy. The report presented yesterday at the Synod lists a series of problems, like "Latinization" of the faithful and the issue of priests of the Eastern rite called to replace the dwindling number of priests of Latin rite, effectively abandoning the ministry of their own Churches. The document should aim precisely at facilitating mutual understanding.

To prepare it, the Synod is starting its reflection with a questionnaire, asking, “what is required of Latin Bishops with respect  to  Eastern  faithful  present  in  the  territory  of  their  dioceses  and  without  their  own Hierarch,  or  to  help  an  Eastern  Pastor  who  struggles  to  reach  his  faithful?  What  forms  of collaboration are possible and appropriate in a territory where there are multiple rites? What mutual knowledge exists  and  how  can  this be  improved? How  can canonical  legislation  be applied,  deepened  or  improved  to  promote  the  pastoral  care  of  Eastern  Catholics  in  the diaspora? What is the role of the Holy See in all this?”

At the end of this discussion, the group will draft a document that will be submitted to the Plenary Assembly of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches, which will examine it and outline the final process to be submitted to Pope Francis.

• vatican
• synod
• eastern churches
• pope francis
• reflection
• diaspora